Staying on Top When Your World's Upside Down

Playing it safe can be a dangerous game

“The play-it-safe pessimists of the world never accomplish much of anything, because they don’t look clearly and objectively at situations, they don’t recognize or believe in their own abilities, and they won’t stretch those abilities to overcome even the smallest amount of risk.”Benjamin Hoff: The Tao of Pooh

In Ken Kesey’s masterful novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, it didn’t take long at all for Randall Patrick McMurphy to realize that Billy and some of the other nuthouse inmates weren’t crazy at all – they were scared to death and it was easier for them to pretend to be mentally ill so they could stay in a place where they did not have to face the realities and the responsibilities of the real world.

If you’ve ever been to Key West you have no doubt visited Last Flight Out, a shop owned by my good friend Clay Greager. Every morning since my first stop there in 1996 I’ve had my coffee in a Last Flight Out mug with this poem by Elise Franzetta emblazoned upon it:

Courage

What are the fearsfrom which you run?

What are the obstaclesto overcome?

What is the pathyou’d like to take?

What are the changesyou’d like to make?

Where would you go?

What would you do?

If every windowwas open to you?

Do you have the couragewithout any doubt…to reach for your dreamstake your Last Flight Out?